Fluid dispensers such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,309 issued Jul. 11, 1995 are known in which a liquid to be dispensed is contained in a disposable container which incorporates a pump assembly. Typically, the pump assembly includes a reciprocally movable piston which, when moved, dispenses a quantity of liquid from the container. The containers are fitted within a permanent dispenser housing which includes a movable actuator assembly which secures and reciprocally moves the movable element to dispense the fluid. Once the fluid in the disposable container has been exhausted, the disposable container is replaced by another disposable container incorporating an identical pump assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,309 provides a construction which permits simplified replacement of a fluid container incorporating a pump assembly with a piston movable between extended and retracted positions. The patent provides an arrangement whereby whether the piston is in an extended or a retracted position, after insertion of the container into the permanent housing, cycling of the movable actuator assembly secures the piston in a desired coupled arrangement with the movable actuator assembly. The patent provides that when inserted such that the piston may not initially be in the desired coupled arrangement that after an initial cycling of the movable actuator assembly, the piston comes to be properly coupled.
Liquid dispensers such as the type illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,304 are known as adapted for dispensing a wide variety of fluids including fluids of relatively low viscosity such as water-like fluids, aqueous alcohol solutions and alcohol and in which a nozzle is provided at the end of the pump so as to provide a spray pump which emits an atomized cone of the liquid onto a user's hand. The present applicant has appreciated disadvantages with such spray pumps in that the atomized cone of the liquid being dispensed may be directed in directions which are not desired. For example, a cone of spray may spray liquid onto a wall on which the dispenser is mounted or onto a movable actuator, typically a presser bar, which is manually moved to dispense the liquid. This has been appreciated to cause a liquid build up on the wall or presser bar which can be messy and can drip off after use. This has a disadvantage that the dripping can cause a user to assume that the dispenser is leaking. As well, the dripping is messy and can cause unsightly build up on a surface onto which the liquid is sprayed or dripped and, as well, can cause slippery conditions if the liquid drips onto a floor surface.